I know we have done the Learner Driver car bit already, & 'sharkrider' is the one with experience.

Dual controls or not, i can not take seriously a 'New' 'Learner driver starting out in an Automatic car', driving the vRS.

I would not for the life of me let anyone start out in a vRS & the DSG box.

My bad, but i really cant see what tyre spin at JUnctions could be like,

I have never ever driven a car that Spins Front Wheels like a vRS, and i have driven a few fast autos. JMO obviously.

Cant believe that an Insurance company will insure one as a Tuition Car for in-experienced Learners rather than for Experienced drivers learning or being taught in an Auto.

george

I can understand your concern and you'll probably scoff at this reply but my 207 is more responsive than the VRS to the gas pedal. The VRS is far smoother off the line in my opinion, and it's down to me to explain how to use the pedal, most learners wont know its 180bhp and will be cautious when pressing down the pedal.

As an instructor it's my job to show that no matter how powerful the car, you don't have to drive it like an idiot, it can be driven sensibly.

The only thing I can say is that the VRS I have driven is easy to drive 'normally' or it's a duff!!

Edited 3 August, 201213 yr by MilgeS

I understand what your saying,

my 1.1, 16v 4 speed automatic is quicker than the vRS off the line, to 30mph, & with no dramas.

Its the slight lag (delay) and then possible spin & lack of traction on damp roads that worried me about using the vRS with learners.

Not my car just, i have driven other TSi's/DSG's

(TC activating, and torque steer)

You know better being an instructor as does sharkrider,

i must just be a bad driver, often accused of it anyway..

george

Edited 3 August, 201213 yr by sk4gw

I must be driving with the handbrake on then.

Must check on next journey.

Tony

Only ever had TC kick in once and that was chasing 'Sharkey' down lanes in Cumbria and out of a 90 degree bend... The tyres were on the verge of being below limit and that was their last trip out before my new tyres were fitted...

Can't say I've had issues making progress from junctions but after instruction from Dave I tend not to stop unless absolutely necessary, just read the road ahead and plan for the 'gap'

Rarely spin the wheels from a start but often do pushing hard in a corner. I've often found I leave everything behind me at lights and even have to watch when in traffic not to pull away too quickly. I'd have said the throttle is sensitive and definitely is when it comes to trying to get good mpg out of it. I often drive barefoot and my dad has even said it would be easier to drive without shoes on.When he had a go he said he barely brushed the throttle and it effortlessly got up to speed.

? Nobody gets 'TC' flashing on damp roads 'in town' at Junction or Cross Road starts,

Right Or Left Junctions from a standing start, or need to get out into traffic.?

well that will just be me then!

Ok tho as its only ever in the Fabia. & only with the Dunlops on, not the Bridgestones.

I am tho one thats get good MPG as well...

george

Edited 3 August, 201213 yr by sk4gw

I understand what your saying,

my 1.1, 16v 4 speed automatic is quicker than the vRS off the line, to 30mph, & with no dramas.

Its the slight lag (delay) and then possible spin & lack of traction on damp roads that worried me about using the vRS with learners.

Not my car just, i have driven other TSi's/DSG's

(TC activating, and torque steer)

You know better being an instructor as does sharkrider,

i must just be a bad driver, often accused of it anyway..

george

I hope you didn't take anything I've said as offence, it's wasn't intended to be at all :-)

As Evil says below, we teach to 'anticipate', as a learner progresses they get a better 'feel' of the car and 'anticipate' road situations so that the sudden presses on the gas are reduced.

Believe me I will be ready with that dual control pedal !!

george. not one of my pupils has ever wheelspun out of a junction (just to reiterate, not one. ever.) , and I suffer no "delay" as talked about by others. you simply teach them correctly, and they drive correctly. I never get wheelspin either, unless I want it. I also have pupils come from other cars (one a 207 auto, one an auris auto (the worst auto box I have ever experianced) and she is so impressed with the DSG she is getting rid of the brand new auris for a DSG equipped car. its the best auto box out there in my opinion. I dont know what you are doing george without assessing you on a drive, but neither me or my pupils (over 34k) have ever suffered the problems you describe. my last pass was last week (2 minor faults) and I had the supervising examiner for my pupil, he actually commented on how good the car was (which they rarely do ) as it was the first DSG auto he had seen on a test.

milseS : there are no dual control sets out from heman. my local (newcastle) fitter, used a set for a manual fabia II, threw away the clutch pedal, and needed to make a slightly larger bracket to attach the cable to the Brake, as its a little thicker thanthe brake on a manual fabia. cost £300, fittes with me going to him to save him traveling (I would suggest you contact your local heman agent directly, rather than heman the company.)

and george, just like me, milges, tony and evil mayagi, my g/f Ash (black and white) who passed her test just over three years ago, and has never driven an auto before, drove my car 200 miles down to the last meet, with no issues at all. I never even mentioned pulling away (just told her to glue her left foot to the floor! lol) or "hesitation" or hill holder functions, she used them all perfectly without drama, just as my pupils do....

george. not one of my pupils has ever wheelspun out of a junction (just to reiterate, not one. ever.) , and I suffer no "delay" as talked about by others. you simply teach them correctly, and they drive correctly. I never get wheelspin either, unless I want it. I also have pupils come from other cars (one a 207 auto, one an auris auto (the worst auto box I have ever experianced) and she is so impressed with the DSG she is getting rid of the brand new auris for a DSG equipped car. its the best auto box out there in my opinion. I dont know what you are doing george without assessing you on a drive, but neither me or my pupils (over 34k) have ever suffered the problems you describe. my last pass was last week (2 minor faults) and I had the supervising examiner for my pupil, he actually commented on how good the car was (which they rarely do ) as it was the first DSG auto he had seen on a test.

milseS : there are no dual control sets out from heman. my local (newcastle) fitter, used a set for a manual fabia II, threw away the clutch pedal, and needed to make a slightly larger bracket to attach the cable to the Brake, as its a little thicker thanthe brake on a manual fabia. cost £300, fittes with me going to him to save him traveling (I would suggest you contact your local heman agent directly, rather than heman the company.)

and george, just like me, milges, tony and evil mayagi, my g/f Ash (black and white) who passed her test just over three years ago, and has never driven an auto before, drove my car 200 miles down to the last meet, with no issues at all. I never even mentioned pulling away (just told her to glue her left foot to the floor! lol) or "hesitation" or hill holder functions, she used them all perfectly without drama, just as my pupils do....

Thank you very much indeed for that info, I spoke to my local HeMan (Southampton, I'm on the IOW so a boat trip at £50 return!!), I will contact them again with the details you provided.

Many, many thanks ;-)

additional: as for insurance, milgeS, I just had another company contact me as my renewal is comming up, and they only insure up to group 25 (I Thing they grouped the vRS as 28) so the only company I have currently found id instructorcoverplus... please let me know if you find any others willing to quote a group 28 car!

I'm with IC+ myself, I'll have a ring around but won't hold out much hope then!

i've emptied my PM box, you can PM if needed

yay

! beat it on my way to work last night

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How on earth do you manage that ?! Is it pool table flat with you ? lol

its NOT stop start traffic thats for sure, but a mix of 30-60 mph zones and about a mile of town...

the 56.9 was set when sticking ridgidly to the speed limits.. 60 in a 60 ect...

this one 58.7 was set when I was a bit early last night... had no one behind me, and did a bit of an experiment in how long it would roll off throttle..... i.e approaching a particular junction, backing off way further than I would if I had traffic behind me (50mph zone) so instead of carring 50mph most of the way, just letting it slow, doing 35-40 slowing into the junction ect... (I wouldn't do this if I had traffic to hold up behind me, out of consideration for others, but I was early , and it was quiet!)

nearly 60mpg! but it was an extream effort!

Shark.

Might have to have a go, best I have had so far is 48mpg on way into work although it was down hill and up hill, always on the way home its around 40-42mpg but that is mostly going back up hills or should I say incline's. The joys of scotland!

Chris

Has 42mpg again this morning. One of these days I will try to see how much I can get out of a tank. May do it with this one.

58.7 That is impressive. The best I've had out of my VRS is 51mpg after 30 miles of 30-60mph single carriageway driving (warm start). With steady motorway driving it hovers around 42-43mpg.

ive only had mine a week so still getting used to the DSG etc but best so far is 38mpg on the work run

motorways are harder mike... cant seem to get it above 45 on the motorway, even with ridgid "indicated" 70 mph limit.......

SWMBO regularly lights up the TC light pulling out of junctions/roundabouts etc..... she loves it lol. She not happy unless she's got control of a big throbbing growling Milltek haha ;-)

I get 53-57 mpg regularly now at motorway speeds.

When starting off at this time of year, about 16 degrees celcius,

it is taking 5 miles @ 60 mph to get to 50 celcius oil temp and 8 miles to get to 88 degrees.

By then i am getting over 53 mpg.

That is with Mobile 1 & Tesco Momentum. usually 90-92 degrees.

Castrol Edge runs at 1 or 2 degrees more.

Quantum has the oil as much as 5 degrees higher on the same routes and speeds & the MPG not so good.

Tuesday i had my lowest at 19 mpg on a 60 mile non stop blast.

george

MPG back in June. Regularly getting these figures now.

Mine also does circa 60mpg at 40mph in 7th lol.

Just kidding ;-) those are impressive figures if they were recorded over a decent distance mate :-)

70 mpg plus is easy at a constant 40 mph,

& 200 mpg going down long hills.

I just look at the begining & end of journeys.

When i go someplace & fill up & then zero,

& check before filling up again, i dont take random pictures of short distance economy.

george